Snow Storms and Chocolate Cupcakes

I love snow storms.  It is more of a conditional love, but love nonetheless.

The conditions include…

Being at home, in sweatpants, on my couch, drinking a hot cup of something, watching the snow accumulate out side my window.  I don’t want to go to work or attend any planned event…Truth be told,  I really don’t want to leave my house when it is snowing…

True hibernation.

The snow accumulation must be greater than 4 inches.  Less than four inches, well that is just a dusting.  Nothing is going to be cancelled, school will still be in session, you can still see the tops of the grass blades and corn stalks.  Life will go on, it’ll just be cold, wet, and slushy.  Eh.   More than 4 inches, preferably lots more, turns the world into a black and white photo.  The dreariness of winter is gone.  The brown grass, the bare trees, the empty brown fields…all covered in a glorious blinding bright white.

Untouched snow.  No cars or trucks packing it down, turning it black and dirty.  Untouched snow before the snow plows come along and throw it (and the top layer of the road) into the ditch.  Uncovering the bleak and gray road beneath, making it passable.  Making it safe for travellers, making it so we no longer have good reason to stay in hibernation.  Growing up in a small town (one square mile small)…I was spoiled with days on end of untouched snow.

The temperature must be freezing ( so it’ll snow and not rain of course), but not too far below freezing.  If it is too cold then the snow is powder like.  Great if you ski, at least I would think so, but since I have never skied, I truly don’t know.  Powder snow is not great for building snow men, snowball fights, or fort building.  We are snowman making,  snowball fighting, fort building aficionados in my family.  That I do know.

We had a snow storm this weekend, as did most of the midwest and eastern side of the country. It was a true snow storm…more than 4 inches fell.  The world was a black and white photo.  And to top it off, I spent the weekend at my parent’s.  Untouched snow galore and nothing pressing to do…Perfect!  The temperature never reached snow packing heights on Saturday to create anything, but it was enjoyed all the same.

Were you snowed in this weekend too?  Wasn’t it great?!  I hope you didnt have to go anywhere.  I hope you were able stay cooped up in the house and enjoy time with your family.  I hope you lounged in your pajamas all day long.  I hope you made comfort food and enjoyed every last bite ( it is not bathing suit season yet!!)  If not, winter is no where from being over…you will have time.  Promise.

Our comfort food this weekend was chocolate.  Chocolate and Peanut Butter.  In cupcake form.  No biggy.  Just tastey.  You can never go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter, at least not in my family.

Chocolate Cupcake w/ PB Frosting

16 Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1 Cup Cocoa Powder ( I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa)
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 + 1/2 All Purpose Flour
• 1 + 1/2 Sticks Butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 + 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Cup Buttermilk, well shaken
• 1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt

Icing

• 1 Stick Butter, softened
• 1/2 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 2 + 1/2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 3-4 Tablespoons milk, half and half, or heavy cream…whatever you have on hand.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line muffin tin cups with paper cupcake wrappers.

In a small bowl, sift or whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa.  Set aside.  Also, in another bowl, mix together the buttermilk and yogurt.  Set this aside too!

Cream together melted butter and sugar for about 3 minutes.  If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment.  Add the vanilla and the eggs, mix well.  Now, beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk/yogurt mixture, starting and ending with flour.  (Flour, dairy, flour) Mixing well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Fill the lined muffin cups about 2/3rds the way full and place in preheated oven.  Bake for about 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan and placing them on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

While they are cooling, prepare icing.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and peanut butter.  Mix in vanilla.  With mixer on low, slowly add confectioner’s sugar until all of it is mixed in.  Now, add the milk, tablespoon by tablespoon until the consistency desired is reached.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, ice the cupcakes and then enjoy!  They can be stored in an airtight container for about 3 to 5 days, if they last that long!